Culpeper Tripod Microscope and Sliders, c1730
Lignum vitae, boxwood, brass, glass, pasteboard, marble paper, shagreen (rayskin), ivory
Around 1725, the English instrument maker Edmund Culpeper designed a compound microscope that became extremely popular. His design modified the Campani-type tripod microscope by raising the stage (the platform underneath the lenses that holds the specimen) above table level and by inserting a concave mirror below it. These two improvements made the stage more accessible and allowed for the illumination of specimens from below.
This impressive Culpeper microscope was a typical conversation piece in its day. It produces an image of about 200x magnification. Coarse focus is achieved by sliding the body tube up or down in the sleeve, and fine focus can be obtained by screwing the sleeve with the body tube in or out of the collar. The black-painted ivory sliders have four compartments that can be moved successively under the microscope. A manuscript lists the specimens they contain.